ChrisPDX

Hi folks. Adding a custom seat upgrade example in 2024. I bought my 2001 Greenie, and it came with a custom seat, but the leather was very dried out, and importantly, I thought the seat was at the wrong angle. As I rode the bike I was constantly being pushed up against the tank (insert your jokes here). I'll just go with - it wasn't comfortable. I live in Portland, Oregon, and looked up the maker of the seat. Turns out, 22 years after building the first one, he's still in business making custom motorcycle seats, now located in Kingston, Washington, USA, just outside of Seattle. Rich's Custom Motorcycle Seats https://www.richscustomseats.com He said he'd be able to re-do the seat. Either I could take photos and measurements and ship the seat to him and he would do his best to modify per my request, or I could come to his shop with my bike for a custom fitting. The shop is about a 3-hour van drive from my house, so I loaded it (the cold/rainy season has begun here) and took it to him. He had me sit on the bike and discuss, then pulled off the leather cover and modified the foam contours. I sat on it again and took it for a short ride, then another minor contour change, and a new gel pad, another tweak and...what a GREAT transformation. I was then given a wide variety of choices regarding leather, vinyl, color, stitching and so on. And while tempted by red flames or a waving Italian flag, I went with very simple and classic. Green bike and red frame are, IMO, already speaking loudly enough . I chose a black pebble-texture leather for the seating area (which I was told hides creases and wear over time), and black smooth leather for the pillion and lower sides of the seat, with double stitching. The contour they typically recommend (though they'll do anything you want) is a bit of a cupped shape with a gel pad under that. I went the cupped direction since the V11 is more of a back roads cruiser. I'll take my r6 to the track. From arrival at their shop to departure took a total of 5 hours. Which is pretty incredible considering they sculpted a custom foam shape, made a custom leather pattern, stitched and adhered it, and I took a test ride mid-way in the process. One person worked on seat disassembly and assembly, and another did the stitching. I hung out in the shop, chatted, and tossed the ball for the shop dog. Really, the experience and result couldn't have been better. They guarantee the work for a year, saying I could come back for adjustments or repairs if I wish. Their main business is, I think, cruiser seats for Harleys and the like. And they say the busy season is April-September, so plan on waiting a little longer those months. That said, they do offer the in-person fitting, same day service, all year round. Cost wasn't cheap, around $700, but the personal attention, truly custom result, high quality materials, made in USA workmanship, and so on...to me, it was a fair price in 2024 $$. Here are a couple photos. You'll see I went conservative/classic. The feel of the seat is really high quality - when felt with my hand, and with my backside. I think it'll look and ride nice for years with just occasional leather treatment.

Hi folks, and thanks for sharing the how-to on this subject. Just sharing that this morning (November 2024) I called the Piaggio USA Customer Service phone number, 212-380-4400, and inquired about my V11 VIN number. The nice guy who answered the phone (the aforementioned Willie) was able to look it up immediately. He then said "Hmmm, what I see here is a Flex Hose recall". To which I was able to say, "That's it, the transmission recall". To which he was able to say, "OK...yea...well that work was completed on 4/11/2004". He had no more information, but really, that's all I needed. The whole call took maybe 2 minutes. I was pleased/impressed that they had the info at their fingertips once given the VIN and an accurate translation of Flexible Hose.

Minor update. Before disassembly, I wanted to be 110% sure the oil is coming from the spot, so I cleaned it again. As I was messing about in that are with paper towels and mini screwdrivers to get the last of the oil out of the crevices, I noticed...that post is absolutely loose. I can spin it quite easily with the tip of a screwdriver pushed just off center of the post from the outside. Round and round and round, no problem. So, my intention is to remove, degrease, and glue/epoxy the post in place. At the risk of instigating a "which oil is best" conversation , is the consensus on best adhesive for this steel post to aluminum case application - JB Weld? My default is probably that, but I'm a little concerned, while the post currently spins, it's actually quite a tight tolerance fit. Obviously not (successfully) press fit, but maybe...only a couple thousandths (imperial) undersize. So probably need a relatively thin adhesive to achieve the bond the full 360 and still allow a fully seated post to maintain parts alignment. Thoughts about: a. JB Weld b. Cyanoacrylate based adhesive, gel or thin c. Red Loctite d. Other

This is such great feedback and gives me good direction. Many, many thanks. Photos and diagrams thumbs up. Not sure if it's a "this weekend" project or a "next weekend" project. But @swooshdave won't let it drift much beyond that :). Appreciated! Chris

Hi friends: I have a 2001 Greenie I've been working to bring back to life (thanks for all the forum assistance and info). I've ridden it a bit around town, and have one current oil leak that I'm hoping for advice on. It's on the left side of the transmission case, visible just under the starter, adjacent to and slightly above the neutral warning light. It's a circular piece of steel that pokes through the case and is a little recessed (see photo - I'm pointing at it with a screwdriver). I have a manual, but can't see where that piece is named anything in the Section N Gearbox chapter. It does show up in one VERY small diagram there (see photo - I'm pointing at it with an Xacto) on p. 26 section N, but I can't work it out. And because it has no slot or fastener head on it, I'm struggling to imagine how to get it out (to put on a new o-ring or whatever) other than take that side cover off. Before such bold exploratory surgery, I thought it's best to ask :). Attached are a couple photos. The leak is just a small drip, but it does run down the side of the case and onto the pipe. I haven't ridden the bike extended miles yet, but am concerned I'd end up on the side of the road out of town with abundant hot oil on the outside, not the inside of the tranny. It does form a drip VERY slowly, maybe once a week, while cold in my garage. All advice appreciated!

It's a spherical bearing. Yes, factory mount points.

I ordered mine from EPM Performance. Here's a link: https://epmperformance.com/products/75mm-rsc-progressive-steering-damper-ds-075-np1-v11-sport-1999-2005

Hi Folks: Informed and inspired by this forum - and because I powdercoated the swingarm on my 2001 Greenie bright red - I removed my black plastic rear hugger and spent some time making a version of road-spray deflectors. Thought I'd post photos here for others to see. I made a version of the flat "lower triangle" very similar to what others have done, with a couple tweaks for fit and to protect the lower shock eye. And I made an "upper extension" that mounts to the existing under-seat plastic and extends a fork-shaped flap around the shock. That upper extension required a bit of heat gun forming because I worked its profile in steps around the battery basket. Attachment of the lower triangle is with zip ties and the upper extension is with plastic "Christmas Tree" style clips through the seat pan. The end result lets the swingarm and rear wheel/drive be fully visible. I sourced material for all the above from Home Depot in the form of one rectangular black plastic Rubbermaid trash can. It was what seemed to me the right thickness, cut pretty easily with an Xacto knife, will be durable for the application, and the price was certainly right. My process was to start with thin cardboard and scissors, then use what I came up with as the template for cutting out the plastic. Installed, these are basically invisible. And they do a much better job than the original hugger of keeping road spray and debris out of the shock and rear of the engine. Hope this helps!

Hi folks: I recently refurbished a 2001 Greenie and went through the swingarm color and rust repair process. Thought I'd share my results. Version 1.0, I had the wheel off, and planned to re-grease the swingarm pivots. In doing so, I discovered a bit of rust and a notchy bearing, and...so it began. At first I went cheap, with just a wire brush to the rust, and rattle can black to match the stock color. And that looked...well...better than rust. So commence V2.0 - and only after giving myself a stern talking to about...finish what you start, young man. I took the swingarm, pork chops, rear subframe and battery basket off and powdercoated all. I figured they really should be done at the same time due to color matching issues, and if not perfect, at least they would match each other. Plus, I had chips/scratches on all, and once I saw those, I couldn't un-see. Last, it was a chance to sand off any original welding splatter, the helmet lock spot, and so on, cleaning things up visually. After consideration, I went with red, red, red, and am SO happy I did. The color isn't an absolute 100% match to the original, but that's OK (to me) because the spine frame at the front of the tank is separated from the rest of the red bits. The new paint is just a bit more orangey-red, but not that far off. And let's agree, what I painted is the EASY part to get to :), which I considered enough. I've permanently removed the rear tire hugger and plastic swingarm end covers because I really think the braced swingarm looks great, and the hugger is of questionable function/appearance. More in another post about the simple replacement fender system I made, inspired by others on this forum, that works well and was super cheap. Attached are photos of the powdercoat result. I really do like how the bold red now runs the full length of the bike. But that's a matter of opinion, of course. In any case, you now have these photos to refer to when considering your own situation.

Hi folks: Based on your recommendation I purchased and installed a HyperPro damper (PN KBA91326) on my 2001 Greenie after the stocker dripped its oil on my garage floor. In the USA I ordered from EPM Performance. Here's the link: https://epmperformance.com/products/75mm-rsc-progressive-steering-damper-ds-075-np1-v11-sport-1999-2005 Here are a few photos that show mounting details and may make things easier if you choose this unit when the time comes. The stock mounting points are used. The finish on the HyperPro is VERY nice and the sliding and adjustment mechanisms are super smooth. Of minor interest, when I bought (rescued) my bike it arrived with the Heim Joint at the lower triple clamp where the steering damper mounts sheared off. I was able to order a higher quality replacement from McMaster Carr. Their PN for that is 59935K43 Ball Joint Rod End M8 x 1.25mm thread, right hand.

Hi folks: Attached are a few photos of silver Knight Design pegs I just installed on a 2001 Greenie. https://knightdesignllc.com/moto-guzzi-front-foot-pegs-sidetrax-lowered-1-inch/ I ordered, and they arrived in 3 days (granted, Knight is in Oregon and so am I). Very solid CNCd aluminum parts that use the existing mounting location, bracket and hardware. Total install time including chasing one of the little (briefly airborne) retaining clips across the shop was 10 minutes. No extra parts or fasteners required. It's useful to know, the end result is a slightly wider foot position than stock, requiring some noticeable toe-in to reach rear brake pedal properly. You could easily space/extend that pedal end if desired. The stock shifter pedal end sticks out further than the brake side, so reaching it is no issue. Angle change took about 5 minutes of riding to get used to. Your experience may vary. I'm about 5'11" with 32" inseam and size 11 US boots, for what that's worth. The 1" of extra leg room sounds inconsequential, but when you sit on the bike it feels (to me) much better. Wife even said I now look "more normal" on the bike. Which I'm trying to take the right way... Hope this helps clarify your choices.

Hi Friends: I thought I'd share a bit about my experience on this topic. I purchased and revived a 2001 "Greenie" which had the original Sachs unit. After looking around, reading here, and reflecting on past experiences I purchased and installed a Penske on my bike. It's their 8983 style with remote reservoir part number PS-8983-MOTOGUZZI-V11. For my 170LBs they recommended a 500LB spring. Please see attached photos of how I mounted it, which came out nice and clean. The unit bolted in easily, and the bike stance remains same as previous (I dropped the front end so 10mm fork shows above triple clamp to put a bit more weight on the front end). I'd describe the ride as plush-but-controlled, very much in line with my previous Penske experience on a VFR. It's almost a little (intentionally) soft right at the beginning of the stroke - which feels comfortable on uneven urban streets and secondary back roads. There's absolutely no harshness, but is supportive. Penske delivered the shock in about 2 weeks. I just called them directly, explained make-model, and it couldn't have been easier. I paid full price. For what it's worth, past experience with Penske on race and street bikes indicates they also have the benefit of being easily and endlessly rebuildable. Nothing complicated, just good quality, Made in USA, easy parts availability, and any shop that rebuilds shocks can handle fresh oil/seals on a Penske. Not cheap, of course, but a buy-it-once buy-it-right sort of solution. Also, looks quite proper on the bike IMO, with relatively subtle color shock/spring details that do not try and compete/clash with the rest of the bike. I hope this helps someone who's considering improving their suspension, and maybe shortens your path regarding mounting etc.

Hi Friends. I have a 2001 "Greenie" that I've recently rescued and put back on the road. It has the early silver 40mm forks, and I went down several of the roads described in this Technical Topic before finding success. Sharing here in hopes it helps. Short summary: The early 40mm silver forks do not accept modern replacement cartridges from any source I could find. I ended up sending the forks to Traxxion Dynamics in the USA and for a quite reasonable fee (about $600 in 2024 $$, less than 1/2 the cost of new cartridges) they changed the springs for my weight, new seals, and re-valved the stock cartridges so the rebound cartridge now serves both purposes, with rebound being adjustable and compression being fixed-but-functional. The stock compression side acts as delivered from the factory, which is basically only in the last 1" of travel - think of it as bottom out control. Turnaround was 2 weeks plus shipping time. They were very responsive via email, and super knowledgable/helpful and willing to work on oddball projects like this one. I'm not representing myself as a true suspension expert, but did 20 years as a club racer so over the years have been on some fancy Ohlins stuff as well as my share of Vintage Wobblers :). The end result on the V11 is VERY nice. I have no relationship with Traxxion other than as a satisfied customer who paid their full asking price. Longer story: My 2001 has 15K miles on it and almost certainly contained the original fork oil and seals. I decided to replace oil and seals myself, and to evaluate other upgrades later after riding the bike awhile. So begins many of my mechanical "journeys". :). Upon disassembly I thought, "Well...while I'm here...I REALLY ought to get springs for my weight." So, I called RaceTech, discussed with their vintage technician, and ended up with a set of .90 springs to better support my 170lbs/77kg. I cut preload spacers (210mm) to achieve 15mm preload, and worked out the 10wt oil amount to achieve 120mm air gap. BUT, when I assembled the forks I pushed them through the full stroke and had a "....whuuuut?" experience, because the compression resistance without the spring in place felt like - nothing...nothing...everything. This is as-described by another forum member, but I didn't get it until I actually felt it. That feeling caused me to stop. Honestly, I walked away from the project for a week, to ponder. It had felt so wrong, but I'm familiar with the cost of new cartridges :). In the end I reached out to a couple local race sources. They typically do Ohlins, GP, and Ktech cartridges for R6s and the like, and were polite but reluctant. I then reached out to Maxton, but they responded they no longer do work on bikes for the USA due to insurance restrictions. Then I reached out to Traxxion Dynamics in the USA. They were willing to look at the forks, asked for photos, and recalled they'd previously installed custom cartridges in 43mm Marzocchi's for a V11. My photos of how the top of the 40mm forks assembled caused them to say, "Looks similar, and we've figured out many applications, we're willing to try." When the forks arrived at their facility they disassembled and were surprised. They said, "...these fork tubes and axle clamps are not threaded as usual. The cartridge is what's holding the fork tubes and axle clamps together. They have a massive steel cartridge body, and our cartridge is too small diameter to accomplish the same task." I believe this would be the same answer from any/all modern cartridge suppliers. The 40mm Marzocchi solution is unique, and is no longer (was never) the industry standard. But, Traxxion did say they could re-valve and re-spring the stock cartridges to improve what I'd sent them. I agreed to that, and upon further disassembly and consideration they sent additional evaluation including - a. the compression cartridge really doesn't do anything until the bottom of the stroke, b. compression and bleed needles were both missing springs which meant "clicker" adjustment did nothing, c. those needles don't have taper...the list went on. All of which got fixed with replacement parts from the Traxxion tool box. In the end I ended up with forks where the rebound side does all the damping work in both directions. Springs are 1.0, which are what Traxxion recommended for a 170LB rider on a 550LB bike with 25 degrees of rake. I can share, after riding it, that the front end is what I'd describe as plush-but-supported, and around town my fork zip tie shows I'm using about 225mm of travel. It's, frankly, great (kudos deserved, in part, to the Penske shock I put on back, which I'll detail in another post in the Technical section on that subject). The solution feels fully complete, not 1/2 way or some version of tolerable but better. It's good. And not wildly expensive. I'd highly recommend this approach, even on the 43mm forks where more alternatives exist. Thanks for listening. Hope this saves someone some time, $$, and results in more bikes that handle in a confidence inspiring, safer, more comfortable, and truly enjoyable manner.

Hi. I'm new to this forum. Well, actually the past several months I've been lurking and learning after purchasing a 2001 Green V11 Sport. I knew it was a bit of a project, but a friend @swooshdave, frequent V11lemans poster, told me if I could read...ahem...:)...that all I needed to know to get the bike on the road was documented here. I'm in pretty deep, but just want to say a real THANK YOU to all of you who've worked through and shared the how-tos. Especially those with photos. So far, and there's more I forget, with your help I've done - wheel bearings, bevel box needle and other bearing, drive shaft removal and lubrication, speedo cable, all the fluids, fuel pump and filter, fuel lines, relays, under tank and under seat wiring management, Penske shock, bodywork stress crack repairs, LED headlight, brake pads, valve adjust, steering bearing lube, breather tube, swingarm debris/spray protector, choke spring, and lots of misc lubrication and fastener replacement. Still to come include fork oil + internals and final reassembly of the rear wheel/drive, plus chasing whatever oil leaks I haven't become aware of yet :). TBD whether the injectors need official cleaning or just a couple tanks of fresh gas and some mysterious additive. I'm in line for the next run of Roper plates. The bike does have a couple nice bits I'm hoping make it really sound like a Guzzi and run properly. The Ferracci pipes and Power Commander it came with are cause for optimism. Will post when complete, including some minor successes and additional details in the appropriate technical topic areas if it feels like anything I did worked especially well or is a minor deviation from the already extensive documentation. Anyway, serious thanks again. Without the forum I'd have been less confident and slower about it all for sure and would have had more hard-way lessons - even with a manual, which I do have. But you all know that. Appreciated! Chris